This 'American Idol' and 'X Factor' veteran is taking social media by storm

A post shared by Bradlee (@officialbradlee) on Jan 18, 2016 at 2:15pm PST

It's not often that a singer can impress a roundtable of celebrity judges on two separate music competition shows. But Bradlee Wannemacher is no ordinary singer. The young artist not only rose to fame in 2013 when he was a contestant on the "X Factor," but he also then competed on Season 14 of "American Idol," where he stunned the judges with his rendition of "Somebody to Love." Shortly after that, Wannemacher placed in the top 38 best auditions during Boot Camp week. And this was all thanks to YouTube.

A producer for the "X Factor" noticed Bradlee's talent on his very first YouTube cover and contacted the rising star, and the rest is history. Because YouTube gave the musician his start, it's no surprise that the platform hold a special place in his heart. And over the past few years, his channel has become an online destination for incredible pop covers, DIY tutorials, and more. His almost half a million followers and over 21 million video views are testaments to Bradlee's versatility as a performer and on-screen personality.

Between his burgeoning music career and his viral YouTube channel, Bradlee has his hands full. But that doesn't mean he won't make time for his dedicated fans. Recently, Bradlee Wannemacher participated in the Good Times Tour, where he was able to interact with his social media followers IRL. On the heels of his appearance, we spoke with the viral singer/songwriter about his start on YouTube, what life was like on "American Idol," and more!

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And head over to AOL.com at 12 p.m. ET for more exclusives onBradlee Wannemacher.

You were a contestant on both "American Idol" and the "X Factor." What was that like for you? What was the biggest thing you learned from those experiences?
Being on two different TV shows was an incredible experience to say the least. I got to sing for Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, J. Lo, and Keith Urban which in and of itself is pretty cool! I think I learned more about myself as a person than anything else from the show. I learned that I can do bigger things than I give myself credit for and that I really can give this whole music thing a shot.

A post shared by Bradlee (@officialbradlee) on May 8, 2016 at 11:26am PDT

What led you to create your YouTube channel?
I saw that a lot of singers were getting tons of traffic on them singing covers online, so I thought I would give it a go! Once I saw 1000's of people watching my videos I knew I was onto something because I knew I didn't have 1000 friends!

Do you remember your first video? What was like for you getting into the social media world?
My first video was a cover of Stay by Rhianna. It is still on my channel actually! It is the video that essentially changed my life. A producer from "X Factor" contacted me after seeing that video which set this whole social media thing into a tailspin!

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And head over to AOL.com at 12 p.m. ET for more exclusives on Bradlee Wannemacher.

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This 'American Idol' and 'X Factor' veteran is taking social media by storm

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Bonjour, je m'appelle Meredith. Comment t'appelle tu?
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AHH!!! We hit 3MILLION subbies today!! 💞🎉😭🎂 I love my #macbabies so so much!!! You all mean the WORLD to me!!! Our family is growing so much! Thank you for allowing me to just be my awkward self. I love you and I can never thank you enough for all the opportunities you've given me!! 💞🎉🎂✨😱

until next time thailand ♡
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